The 72 whale watching boats in Tenerife come in seven kinds: 90-minute eco-yachts, catamarans with food, small sailboats, speedboats, a glass-bottom catamaran, pirate and wooden boats, and yachts. The boat decides the length, the crowd, the shade and how steady the ride is — not the whales, which every boat reaches. Our pick for most people is the ten-person sailboat from Los Gigantes, ★ 4.9 from 2,265 reviews.
Our pick of the boat types · from€75per person★4.92,265 reviews
Whale Watching Boat Tour Tenerife: Which Type to Book
Our picksailboatLos Gigantes · Pier 1
Why this one: a sailboat is the best trade between time with the whales and comfort: ten people, lunch, a swim stop and the engine off for part of the trip — ★ 4.9 from 2,265 reviews. The minus: little shade and a steep step aboard.
Lunch on boardSwim stop▲ Not step-free✓ Free cancel 24 h
Tenerife Whale Watching Boat Tour: Eco-Yachts and Catamarans
The eco-yachts from Los Cristianos are purpose-built: a low centre of gravity, smokeless engines, a toilet and a 90-minute trip for €29.90. They are the steadiest ride on the island and the best first trip with children.
Catamarans spread the same stability over a bigger deck: shade, nets at the bow and room for a buffet. They run 90 minutes to five hours from €28 to €80 per person, several with hotel pickup. The catamaran hub compares all of them.
Both carry the largest groups — up to seventy or eighty on the eco-yacht.
Sailboats take small groups — ten on our pick — for about three hours, most with food and a swim stop; most cost €55–€79 per person and are quieter, closer to the water and more exposed to the sun. Our pick sails from Los Gigantes (★ 4.9 from 2,265 reviews).
Motor yachts are the comfortable version: cushioned decks, shade, drinks and snacks, often a swim and snorkel stop — from €40 per person on a shared yacht to several hundred for a private one.
Whale watching and swimming yacht tour Tenerife: most yachts and sailboats combine the two; the swim is always in a cove after the sighting.
Speedboats are the quickest way out to the pilot whales: 3 of them, from Los Gigantes (€28, ★ 4.7 from 1,430 reviews) and Puerto Colón (€50–€65), two to three hours.
They bounce most in a swell; check the not-suitable list on the partner page — the Los Gigantes speedboat excludes children under two.
Whale Watching Tenerife Glass Bottom Boat and the Pirate Boats
Whale watching Tenerife glass bottom boat: the underwater-vision catamaran from Puerto Colón (★ 4.5 from 2,320 reviews, from €33) has windows below the waterline — useful when the sea is calm and the dolphins come close.
The pirate and wooden boats are the theatrical option: the Los Gigantes pirate boat lists food and a toilet (★ 4.6 from 2,370 reviews, from €33), and the wooden boat from Puerto Colón is the cheapest ticket on the island at €26.40.
Viking Whale Watching Tenerife: The Longship from Los Cristianos
Viking whale watching Tenerife means one boat: a Viking-style ship from Los Cristianos harbour, two hours with a swim stop, from €28 (★ 4.7 from 3,690 reviews). It lists a toilet on board and says it is wheelchair accessible, asking guests to use a manual wheelchair.
It sails to the same pilot whales as every other boat; the ship is the show. The operator lists it as not suitable for people with motion sickness — if that is you, take the eco-yacht.
“We saw pilot whales and sea turtles so amazing. There was shade and enough seats for everyone to see. When we went for a swim it was easy to get back on the boat with their good ladder. The trip was great.”
“Super welcoming, warmhearted and mindful guides! We really recommend this tour with Eileen, David and Jaime! Private atmosphere, knowledge, good food and drinks and they really care about the environment and the guests a”
“Highly recommend! This trip was so much fun from start to finish! Luca, our guide, brought such amazing energy to the experience. He was so informative, helpful, and professional, and he made us all laugh so much. His pe”
Start times10:30 · 11:30 · 12:30 · 13:30 · 14:30 · 15:30 · 16:30 · 17:30Languagesnot statedMeeting pointAt the entrance of Los Gigantes port, the office is on the right-hand side; the crew wears yellow T-shirts.Not suitable fornot stated
Start times11:00 · 13:00 · 15:00Languagesnot statedMeeting pointJust inside the entrance of Los Gigantes port, on the right; the crew wears yellow T-shirts.Not suitable forChildren under 2 years
Start times10:00 · 13:00LanguagesSpanish, English, FrenchMeeting pointPuerto deportivo Los Gigantes, Calle Poblado Marinero, 38683 Los Gigantes.Not suitable forPeople with mobility impairments, People with heart problems
Start times10:00 · 13:00LanguagesSpanish, English, FrenchMeeting pointCalle Poblado Marinero, pantalán 1, berth 152, Los Gigantes.Not suitable forWheelchair users, People with mobility impairments, Children under 3 years, People above 140 kg
Start times10:30 · 12:30 · 14:30LanguagesSpanish, English, French, German, ItalianMeeting pointIn the harbour, follow the blue line painted on the ground to excursion zone A and wait behind the big green fence.Not suitable forWheelchair users
Start times10:00LanguagesEnglish, French, German, Italian, SpanishMeeting pointPuerto de Los Cristianos, excursion zone A, 38650.Not suitable forWheelchair users
Start times11:00 · 16:00LanguagesEnglish, Spanish, PolishMeeting pointBoarding gate: excursion zone A, right next to the beach in Los Cristianos harbour. Arrive at least 15 minutes before departure.Not suitable forPeople with motion sickness
Start times10:00 · 13:00 · 16:00LanguagesEnglish, French, German, SpanishMeeting pointWait at the top of the dock by the sign “Pantalán Nº 4”, 15 minutes before your time.Not suitable forPeople prone to seasickness
Start times17:00LanguagesEnglish, Spanish, French, ItalianMeeting pointFisherman’s wharf, excursion zone A — follow the blue line. Be at the port 30 minutes before departure; the gate closes 5 minutes before.Not suitable forWheelchair users
Start times17:00LanguagesEnglishMeeting pointDock 6, Puerto Colón, Playa de las Américas. Public parking at the marina, about €1.20 per hour.Not suitable fornot stated
Start times10:00 · 13:00 · 16:00LanguagesEnglish, SpanishMeeting pointPantalán 9 in Puerto Colón — look for the red catamaran.Not suitable forWheelchair users
Start times13:00LanguagesEnglish, SpanishMeeting pointBoarding gate: excursion zone A, right next to the beach in Los Cristianos harbour. Arrive at least 15 minutes before departure.Not suitable forPeople prone to seasickness
Start times12:00LanguagesSpanish, English, French, German, ItalianMeeting pointPuerto Colón, pier 14, next to the petrol station. Boarding starts 30 minutes before departure.Not suitable fornot stated
Start times10:30LanguagesSpanish, English, ItalianMeeting pointAt the gate of dock 5, the first jetty past the port parking barrier, ten minutes before departure.Not suitable fornot stated
Start times13:00LanguagesSpanish, EnglishMeeting pointDock 10 or 15 of Puerto Colón, Av. de Colón 11, 38660 Playa de las Américas.Not suitable fornot stated
Start times10:00LanguagesGerman, English, Spanish, Italian, FrenchMeeting pointThe meeting point varies with the option: the shared trips go direct to the pier; the partner page shows the exact point for each.Not suitable forWheelchair users
Start times10:00 · 13:00 · 16:00LanguagesEnglish, Spanish, French, ItalianMeeting pointPantalán (dock) 0, Puerto Colón. Two car parks at the port, about €1 per hour. Arrive 15 minutes early.Not suitable fornot stated
Start timesnot statedLanguagesEnglish, SpanishMeeting pointThree meeting points; yours depends on the option you select on the partner page.Not suitable forWheelchair users
Start timesLanguagesEnglish, SpanishMeeting pointIn the harbour, in front of gate number 4, Av. de Colón 128.Not suitable forChildren under 16 years, Pregnant women, People with back problems, Wheelchair users, People over 350 lbs (159 kg), People prone to seasickness
Start times10:00 · 15:00 · 17:30LanguagesEnglish, French, Italian, SpanishMeeting pointHotel pickup in the southNot suitable forPeople with mobility impairments, People with motion sickness
Start times10:00 · 15:30LanguagesItalian, English, SpanishMeeting pointPuerto Colón (pier after booking)Not suitable forBabies under 1 year, People over 70 years
Start times11:30 · 14:30LanguagesEnglish, French, Italian, SpanishMeeting pointTenerife (exact point after booking)Not suitable forPeople over 95 years
Start timesnot statedLanguagesEnglish, SpanishMeeting pointTwo meeting points; yours depends on the option you select.Not suitable forWheelchair users, People with motion sickness
Start timesnot statedLanguagesItalian, Spanish, EnglishMeeting pointMarina del Sur, Las Galletas: control tower, second floor.Not suitable fornot stated
Start times09:00 · 11:00 · 13:00 · 15:00LanguagesSpanish, EnglishMeeting pointMarina del Sur, Las Galletas: control tower, second floor.Not suitable forChildren under 5 years, People over 287 lbs (130 kg), People prone to seasickness
Start times09:45 · 14:00LanguagesEnglishMeeting pointMarina del Sur, Las Galletas, pontoon 3 — about 10 minutes by taxi from Los Cristianos.Not suitable forNon-swimmers
Start times09:45 · 14:00LanguagesEnglish, SpanishMeeting pointMarina del Sur, Las Galletas, pontoon 3; a crew member waits there.Not suitable forPeople prone to seasickness, Babies under 1 year, People with mobility impairments, Wheelchair users, Children under 2 years
Book this boatMore ▾ start times · languages · meeting point
10:30 · 11:30 · 12:30 · 13:30 · 14:30 · 15:30 · 16:30 · 17:30 · not stated · At the entrance of Los Gigantes port, the office is on the right-hand side; the crew wears yellow T-shirts.
Book this boatMore ▾ start times · languages · meeting point
10:30 · 12:30 · 14:30 · Spanish, English, French, German, Italian · In the harbour, follow the blue line painted on the ground to excursion zone A and wait behind the big green fence.
Book this boatMore ▾ start times · languages · meeting point
11:00 · 16:00 · English, Spanish, Polish · Boarding gate: excursion zone A, right next to the beach in Los Cristianos harbour. Arrive at least 15 minutes before departure.
Book this boatMore ▾ start times · languages · meeting point
17:00 · English, Spanish, French, Italian · Fisherman’s wharf, excursion zone A — follow the blue line. Be at the port 30 minutes before departure; the gate closes 5 minutes before.
Book this boatMore ▾ start times · languages · meeting point
13:00 · English, Spanish · Boarding gate: excursion zone A, right next to the beach in Los Cristianos harbour. Arrive at least 15 minutes before departure.
Book this boatMore ▾ start times · languages · meeting point
10:00 · German, English, Spanish, Italian, French · The meeting point varies with the option: the shared trips go direct to the pier; the partner page shows the exact point for each.
Book this boatMore ▾ start times · languages · meeting point
10:00 · 13:00 · 16:00 · English, Spanish, French, Italian · Pantalán (dock) 0, Puerto Colón. Two car parks at the port, about €1 per hour. Arrive 15 minutes early.
any evening · — · Punta de Teno lighthouse; Los Gigantes mirador
Prices checked 23 Sep 2026
Three steps, ticket on your phone
How Booking a Whale Watching Trip Works
1Choose hereCompare port, duration and boat type on this site — every number is from the partner listing.
2Check the dateThe partner calendar on this page shows live availability and the price for your date.
3Ticket on your phoneGetYourGuide sends the ticket; free cancellation up to 24 hours before on all 72 boats.
Partner note: booking happens on GetYourGuide. We may earn a commission; the price is the same as booking there directly.
Seven kinds of boat, one rulebook
3 Hour Whale Watching Excursion Tenerife: What Changes with the Boat
Eco-yacht
1.5 h · most stable · toilet
Catamaran
2–5 h · shade · food on most
Sailboat
3 h · small groups · food on most
Motor yacht
2–3 h · comfort · shared or private
Speedboat
2–3 h · fastest · bumpiest
Glass-bottom · pirate
2–3 h · windows below water · theatre
A three-hour whale watching excursion is the standard length for catamarans, sailboats and yachts: about half an hour out, an hour or more with the pilot whales and dolphins, a swim stop in a cove and the run back. Ninety-minute and two-hour trips drop the swim or the food; four- and five-hour trips add the Masca cliffs.
Every boat on this page follows the same licence rules — 60 m from the animals, no more than two boats within 100 m, 30 minutes with a group, 4 knots nearby — so the boat changes your comfort, not your view of the whales.
Tenerife Whale Watching Boats: The Numbers in Detail
Tenerife whale watching boats in numbers
72 boats run whale watching trips in Tenerife. 54 sell seats by the person, from €26.40 to €129 (middle price €55.50); 15 are priced for the whole boat, from €300 to €935. 23 last up to two hours and 49 last three hours or more.
Of the 72, 44 include food, 59 stop for a swim or snorkel, 15 include hotel pickup, seven mention a toilet on board, three sail at sunset and two are adults-only. Together they have 90,153 reviews on GetYourGuide, with a review-weighted average of ★ 4.65. Five are too new to have reviews.
What the money buys on the island
What the extra money buys on the island: 17 trips cost up to €40 per person, typically for 2 hours, and one of them includes food and 14 a swim stop; 27 trips cost €40 to €70 per person, typically for 3 hours, and 24 of them include food and 21 a swim stop; ten trips cost over €70 per person, typically for 3 hours, and seven of them include food and eight a swim stop. The whales are the same on every boat — the price pays for time on the water, food, a smaller group and comfort.
The cheapest trip with a hundred reviews or more is Whale & Dolphin-Watching Cruise with Swim at €26.40 (★ 4.6 from 543 reviews). Per hour on the water, the best value among the established boats is Los Gigantes Whale-Watching Cruise with Lunch, about €11 an hour. Prices are from-prices checked on 23 Sep 2026; the calendar shows the price for your date.
By kind of boat on the island: 28 motor boats (from €27.81 per person, typically 3 hours), 14 sailboats (from €55 per person, typically 3 hours), twelve motor yachts (from €40 per person, typically 3 hours), ten catamarans (from €28 per person, typically 3 hours), three speedboats (from €28 per person, typically 2 hours), two eco-yachts (from €29.90 per person, typically 90 minutes), one pirate boat (from €33 per person, typically 2 hours), one glass-bottom boat (from €33 per person, typically 2 hours) and one wooden boat (from €26.40 per person, typically 2 hours). The boat decides the ride more than the port: two hulls and the eco-yachts roll least, sailboats heel and go quiet under sail, speedboats are quickest and firmest. The boat-type guide explains each one.
What recent reviews on the island mention
We read the most recent reviews of each boat on the island — 244 in all, written between 9 Oct 2020 and 23 Sep 2026, averaging ★ 4.9. 122 mention whales, 74 mention dolphins, 25 mention turtles, 131 mention the crew or the guide, 30 mention the food or drinks, 50 mention the swim, 8 mention seasickness and 3 mention waiting or a late start. Seasickness comes up in eight of them — worth taking seriously if you are prone to it; the steadiest boats are the eco-yachts and the catamarans. This is a sample of the latest reviews, not the whole record; the rating next to each boat covers every review.
Where they leave from: 36 from Costa Adeje (about 25 minutes to deep water), 13 from Las Galletas (about 35 minutes to deep water), twelve from Los Cristianos (about 25 minutes to deep water) and nine from Los Gigantes (about 18 minutes to deep water), and two with a meeting point given only after booking. The port decides the run to the whales and how you get there; the whales themselves are the same off the whole south-west coast.
How we compare these boats
How we compare: every number here comes from the GetYourGuide listings as we read them on 23 Sep 2026 — price, duration, what is included, the rating and the number of reviews — and from public sources we name next to the figure. We rank by rating only among boats with a hundred reviews or more, because a ★ 5.0 from three reviews says little. Where a listing does not state something, we say so instead of guessing. We earn a commission on bookings; it is the same for every boat and does not decide the order.
Whale Watching Tenerife Boat Tour FAQ
What is the best boat for whale watching in Tenerife?+
For most people a small sailboat — ten people, lunch, the engine off for part of the trip. For children or seasickness, the 90-minute eco-yacht. For speed, a speedboat. The whales are the same from all of them.
Is there a glass-bottom whale watching boat in Tenerife?+
Yes — the underwater-vision catamaran from Puerto Colón, two hours, from €33 (★ 4.5 from 2,320 reviews).
Is there a fast boat for whale watching in Tenerife?+
Yes — three speedboats, from Los Gigantes (€28) and Puerto Colón (€50–€65). They are the quickest to the whales and the bumpiest ride.
Is there a Viking boat whale watching trip in Tenerife?+
Yes — a two-hour cruise with a swim stop from Los Cristianos harbour on a Viking-style ship, one of the cheapest trips on the island.
How long is a whale watching boat tour in Tenerife?+
From 90 minutes to six hours; three hours is the standard for catamarans, sailboats and yachts.
Is a yacht tour better than a catamaran?+
A yacht is smaller and quieter; a catamaran is more stable and has more shade and room. Price per person is similar for shared trips.
Which boats have a toilet?+
The eco-yachts from Los Cristianos, the pirate boat from Los Gigantes and a few yachts list one; most small boats do not state it.
Can I swim on a whale watching boat tour?+
Most three-hour trips include a swim stop in a cove after the sighting; swimming near whales and dolphins is forbidden.
eco yacht★ 4.719,265 reviews